Music Video(s) of the Week, part 30: Off the Record edtion

Hello and welcome again to another episode of Music Video(s) of the Week! This time around we are taking a leaf out of the Communist Manifesto and featuring the fruits of labor—err,videos of the common people. Unofficial videos can be anything from college art projects to several thousand dollar endeavors to an afternoon recorded on a camcorder. It is this diversity that makes these videos awesome; although they may vastly differ in quality, they all have something unique to offer. Don’t believe me? Hit the jump to find out more!

First up this week is Frightened Rabbit, a five-piece indie rock outfit from Scotland. Although an unusual choice for a fan made video, the band’s awesome guitar/trumpet and vocal interplay sequences do wonders when combined with Sam Mouller’s animation. Reminiscent of “Take on Me,” Mouller’s lo-fi sketches make for an amazing product. Enjoy “I Feel Better.”

Next up is a returnee to MVOTW—the New York based duo The Books. Taking a leaf out of the “Play All” set of slightly eclectic (but still awesome) videos the band previously released, a youtube member compiled a set of Hubble space images and slow motion footage and set it to the tune of “Read, Eat, Sleep.” This sounds like the recipe for a really dull video, but if you give it a chance I promise that you’ll like it—it’s scary how well it fits together with the video. Get lost in your inner Zen and enjoy this hypnotic gem.

Last up is a slightly higher-budget endeavor set to a song by English band Metronomy. Now I, like most people, usually get bored of something (whether it be a song, video or movie) after a couple of run throughs. This video, however—made by a group of French directors—might be one of the first that is immune to this. I have watched so-called “Music Painting” (the name given by the directors, the video is set to the song “On the Motorway”) for the last twenty minutes and I am still pressing the replay button. It’s hypnotic, fun, and works well with the music to the point that even the video’s own repetition doesn’t even cause a blink. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.